September 11, 2015

Patronymics - Are they Confusing or Helpful to Genealogists?

Lois
asked a rather convoluted question which I answered in full on my AskOliveTree blogBelow is one small section of Lois' original email, and my response:

Q: After 200 years of historical accounts of the immigrants from the
Netherlands, debate is still continuing when the surname Teunise/Teunisen is
researched. My ancestor was Teunis Nyssen, who had 7 children based on baptism
records, one (Cornelis) from guardianship record after his mother Phoebe Janse
died. By 1660, when the 2nd generation started marriage and having children, the
names of daughters were Teunis with an “e” added and sons with “en”. Historians and genealogists either made decisions which person had which
“Teunis” father, so for the children of Teunis Nyssen, Denyse was added to the name “de Nys, or of Nys, as opposed to child of Teunis
Bogaert.

Is my assumption on the addition of the “e” and “en” correct?

A: The simple answer is "NO". The patronymic was formed by adding -se, -sen, or -szen. Daughters would very often have the ending -x or -dr.
added. I suggest that what you are finding ("e" vs "en") is simply the
way the name/patronymic was recorded by that specific clerk or
individual. See Dutch Patronymics of the 1600s for more help.

Researching
the Dutch in New Netherland is not an easy task. It requires years of
study to understand naming patterns, customs, patronymics etc *and* to
find the records to assist in the research. There are records that Dr.
Gehring has been working on translating from the Dutch for over 25 years
now!

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